Police conduct ‘complex and continuing forensic investigation’ as family of Yiel Gatluak await charges

Police are conducting a ‘complex and continuing forensic investigation’ into the death of a Sudanese teenager whose body was found dumped on the outskirts of Alice Springs on New Year’s Day.

Yiel Gatluak is being remembered as a ‘good bloke full of jokes and laughs’ after his body was found on the outskirts of Alice Springs.

Police are conducting a “complex and continuing forensic investigation” into the death of a Sudanese teenager whose body was found dumped on the outskirts of Alice Springs on New Year’s Day, as the Northern Territory Police Association slams the Chief Minister for “playing with numbers” by falsely claiming there are extra police on the ground.

The family of Yiel Gatluak is waiting for charges to be laid after two adults and a youth were arrested by police on Monday afternoon and evening.

Relatives met NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy on Wednesday afternoon, one day after police announced they had arrested a 21, 20 and 17-year-old at residential addresses in Alice Springs.

The Australian understands the trio who have been arrested are still in custody and have not yet been charged, and due to the seriousness of the alleged offending there is no timeline on when the three may be charged.

On Wednesday the NT Police Association president Nathan Finn lambasted NT Chief Minister Eva Lawler for attributing a reduction in “anti-social” behaviour in Alice Springs to extra police on the ground.

“There’s no extra boots on the ground, that’s not correct,” Mr Finn told The Australian. “To say that we’re fully staffed is a total crock, it’s playing with the numbers, and our members are quite rightfully frustrated with being told that they’ve got enough staff, when they (the government) know the fact is that’s not the case. Police are struggling to meet that demand, and meet that demand is just a call from the public, let alone do that proactive policing.”

NT Police Association president Nathan Finn. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Alice Springs baker Darren Clark told The Australian it took 41 minutes for police to arrive in town after he reported a vehicle being driven erratically through a pedestrian outdoor mall in the early hours of Monday evening.

Mr Finn said there would be a “huge” impact on the community if more resources were on the ground, allowing for more proactive work and the identification of offenders before offending.

“At the moment we’re currently getting calls from the public and the members are going from job to job to job, they don’t have that ability to do that proactive work,” Mr Finn said. “Extra numbers on the ground would give them the ability to do the proactive police work which we used to be able to do before the demand was so high on us.”

Mr Finn said people were 11 times more likely to be a victim of assault in Alice Springs compared to anywhere in NSW.

“It is phenomenal, and this is absolutely staggering when you consider the population of Alice Springs is only around 25,000 people.

“We just want the government to listen and support our members on the ground to do their job that they’re trying to do.”